Rail-joint.



H.' H. FERRIS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.26,1913. 1,0?5,9;68. Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

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UNTTED TATE PATENT @FFTQE.

HARRY HICKS BEBE/IS, O1? HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed January 25, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY TIIOKS Fnnnis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington Beach, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rail joints and has for its primary object to provide an improved device of this character which is more particularly adapted for use in railroad tracks at the switches thereof whereby liability of the loosening of the joint or the breaking or bending of the switch point is eliminated.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of improved means for yieldingly holding the end of one rail section in longitudinal alinement with the abutting end of an adjacent rail section, said yieldable section being adapted for engagement by the switch point or the movable rail of a frog when moved by the train wheel.

A still further object of the invention is to produce an improved rail joint of the above character which consists of comparatively few elements of simple form, durable construction and which may be produced at small cost.

With the above and other objects in view as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, combinations and arrangement-s of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view partly in section of a rail joint embodying the present invent-ion; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view, illustrating a modified construction of the joint when used at a switch point.

Referring in detail to the drawing 5 designates the abutting ends of two adjacent rail sections. Upon opposite sides of the web of the rail and lapping upon the abutting sections thereof, the fish plates 6 and 7, respectively, are arranged. Each of these fish plates consists of a vertical web or body portion 8 having a laterally extended flange 9 formed upon its lower edge. A base plate Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1 1, 1913.

Serial No. 744,258.

10 is also integrally formed with the flange 9 of the fish plate 6, and upon this base plate, the ends of the rail sections are seated. The flange 9 of the other fish plate is centrally provided with a laterally extended lip 11 and upon the longitudinal edge of the base plate 10 centrally thereof, a similar lip 12 is formed. This latter lip is oifset or disposed out of the plane of the base plate 10 and extends beneath the lip 11 of the fish plate 7. These lips are apertured to receive the fastening bolt indicated at 13. The joint, of course, is supported upon the usual track tie T and the edges of the flanges 9 of the fish plates are provided with spike receiving recesses indicated at 14 to receive fastening spikes of any approved form.

It will be noted from reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings that the web of the fish plate 7 extends in parallel relation to the web of the rail 5 while the web portion of the other fish plate 6 is obliquely inclined as indicated at 15 from the longitudinal center of said web outwardly to one end of the fish plate. It will thus be seen that this inclined portion of the web of the fish plate 6 gradually diverges from the rail web. Adjacent to the outer end of the laterally inclined portion 15 of the web of the plate 6, the same is provided with an opening 16 the outer end of which is diametrically enlarged to provide an annular recess or countersink 17 Within this annular recess, the inner open end of a cylindrical hood or casing 18 is adapted to be fitted. The outer closed end of this casing is apertured to receive one end of the connecting bolt 19 which extends longitudinally through said casing, through the opening 16 and through an opening 20 provided in the web of the fish plate 7. It is, of course, understood that this connecting bolt extends through an openin provided in the web of the rail 5. Upon the bolt 19, a coil spring 21 is arranged, said spring hearing at one of its ends against the closed end of the casing 18 into which the spring extends and adapted to engage at its other end with the web of the rail 5. Upon one end of the bolt 19' a nut 22 is threaded for engagement with the closed end wall of the casing 18, said nut securely retaining the open end of said casing in the annular recess 17 of the fish plate 6. A similar nut 23 is also threaded upon the opposite end of said bolt to retain the same within the opening 20 of the fish plate 7. The webs of the fish thereby compressed.

plates 6 and 7 are also provided at intervals with openings indicated at 2- to receive a number of connecting bolts 25, said bolts also extending loosely through coinciding openings provided in the webs of the abutting rail sections.

The spring 21 is of such strength as to normally hold one side of the base fiange of the rail 5 in engagement with the flange 9 of the fish plates 7 the opposite side of the rail flange being spaced from the under face of the flange 9 of the other fish plate 6. As before stated, the laterally inclined portion 15 of the web of the fish plate 6 extends from the longitudinal center of said plate or from a transverse line coinciding with the engaged end faces of the rail sections. Thus the base flange of one of the rail sections fits beneath the flange 9 of both fish plates in close engagement therewith and is securely and rigidly held by means of the bolts 25. When, however, pressure is brought to bear on the other of the rail sections, such as would be occasioned by the engagement of a switch point therewith, or the movable rail of a frog, said latter rail will move with relation to the other fixed rail and against the action of the spring 21, said spring being It is obvious, that if both of the rail sections were rigidly secured at the joint thereof, the pressure of the switch point against one of the rail sections would tend to loosen said joint from the ties for quite a distance along the track. In some cases, the point of the movable switch rail becomes bent while by means of my invention, the provision of a yieldingly mounted rail section for engagement by the switch rail will effectually obviate this bending or breaking of the rail point. The return of the movable rail section to its normal position also assists in the return movement of the switch point when it is thrown back into its closed position.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings, I have illus trated the manner in which the joint is arranged at a track switch point. In such an instance, the heavy metal casting or block 27 is disposed between the line rail and the adjacent switch rail and is securely bolted thereto in the usual manner, the fish plate 7 being eliminated. In this modified form of the device, the base plate 10 of the fish plate 6 is eliminated, the rails being bolted to the ties in the usual manner. It will of course, be understood that my invention may be applied to right and left hand switch points without requiring any alteration in the construction thereof.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction, operation and many advantages of my invention will be clearly understood.

The device is simple in its construction, and the various elements thereof may be readily assembled. As no alteration in the construction of the rails is necessary, it will be obvious that the invention can be produced and installed at comparatively small cost.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the various parts, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of considerable modification in the form, proportion and arrangement thereof without departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the inventlon, what is claimed is:

l. In combination with the rail sections, of means to rigidly secure one of the rail sections upon a supporting tie, said means including a fish plate having a base portion extending beneath the rail sections, and means arranged between said fish plate and the other rail section to yieldably hold the same in longitudinal alinement with the fixed rail section.

2. In combination with the rail sections, of fish plates arranged upon opposite sides thereof and lapping the abutting ends of the rail sections, bolts connecting said fish plates and rigidly securing one rail section therebetween, and means mounted in said fish plates and yieldably holding the other rail section in alinement with the fixed section.

3. in combination with the rail sections,

of fish plates arranged upon opposite sides of said rail sections and lapping upon the abutting ends thereof, means to rigidly secure one of the rail sections between the fish plates, a bolt connecting the fish plates and extending loosely through the other rail section, and a spring arranged upon said bolt between said latter rail section and one of the fish plates to yieldingly hold the same in longitudinal alinement with the fixed rail I section.

4. In combination with the rail sections, of fish plates arranged upon opposite sides of said rail sections and lapping upon the abutting ends thereof, bolts connecting said fish plates and rigidly securing one of the rail sections therebetween, an additional bolt connecting said fish plates and extending loosely through the web of the other rail section, a coil spring arranged upon said bolt and extending through one of the fish plates, said spring bearing against the rail web to yieldingly hold the same in longitudinal alinement with the fixed rail section, and a housing for the outer end of said spring secured between the fish plate and the end of said bolt.

5. In combination with the rail sections, of means to rigidly secure one of said rail sections to a supporting tie, said means including a fish plate having a portion inclined with relation to the longitudinal axis of the other rail section and spaced from the Web thereof, an abutment on the opposite side of said latter rail section, and a coil spring arranged between said inclined portion of the plate and the Web of the rail to yieldingly hold the same in longitudinal alinenient With the fixed rail and in engagement With said abutment.

6. In combination With the rail sections, of fish plates arranged upon opposite sides of said rail sections and lapping the abutting ends thereof transverse bolts connecting said fish plates and rigidly securing one of the rail sect-ions therebetween, one of said fish plates having an obliquely inclined Web portion extending in divergent relation to the Web of the other rail section, an additional bolt connecting said fish plates and extending loosely through the Web of the latter rail section, a spring arranged upon said bolt bearing against said rail section and extending through the inclined portion of said fish plate a casing for the outer end of said spring, said fish plate being provided with an annular recess to receive one end of the casing and a nut threaded upon said bolt to rigidly hold said casing in engagement With the fish plate, said spring normally acting to yieldingly hold the latter rail section in longitudinal alinement With the fixed rail section.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

HARRY HICKS FERRIS.-

Witnesses:

Mrs. H. H. FnRRIs, Mrs. G. B. HIGGINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

